I made a new friend today. Vlad. Vladimir. No, he's not Russian. He's Hispanic. That's right. He manages the new Chimi's Mexican food restaurant at 81st between Sheridan and Memorial. I struck up a friendly conversation with Vlad. I enjoyed getting to know him and seeing where the Lord would lead things. I could tell from that conversation that he wasn't following the Lord, but he was a very friendly, customer-service-focused guy.
During our conversation, he asked me if I had ever tried one of their menu items. I said, no, not that one. Later, he brought it out to me at no cost! I thanked him several times for his thoughtfulness and generosity.
When I was leaving, I went to find him to thank him again for his kind gift and to offer him a gift in return--a gospel tract--and to express a sincere interest in my concern about his eternal welfare. (Yes, I had already tipped generously.) He then ran off and returned with two VIP cards, one for me and one for my wife, giving us 20% off our meals. Again, another unexpected gift.
As we turned the conversation to things eternal, a gift from me to him in exchange for his generosity, he said his mother tries to get him to pray all of the time and that she's very spiritual. That's good, I said, and encouraged him to seriously consider the message on the tracts, as their is nothing more important than his eternal destiny. "That's what my mom keeps telling me," he said.
Sounds like you've got a great mom, I replied. I thanked Vlad again for his generosity and told him how great it was to meet him. I assured him enthusiastically that I would return soon. When I do, I will be sure to see how he's doing spiritually and if he's made a decision to turn from his own way to trusting in and following the Lord with his life.
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